Hi All...I'll be arriving in Antigua June 10 from Canada with my 14 year old son for a 10 day father son trip. We'll be staying with a local family and taking Spanish lessons (Antiguena Spanish Academy) for at least 5 days (checking it out for future visits leading to TDF ride some day, hopefully). Just posting some questions and putting it out there for any tips or advice by folks in the know..

1) where's a good place to rent a bike, klr,xr,dr, chineese bike or even a scooter if need be (should we bring our helmets?)

2) Tikal looks really cool, but also looks pretty far from Antigua for our short visit, is it do-able in 2-3 days, and are there many places to stay nearby?

3) Any must see recomendations within day trips from Antigua (coastal towns, friendly little unique towns)?

4) If anybody is in town at the same time would love to meet for a beverage

2) I did it in two days (with a pitstop in Lanquin). It's doable. You can camp up at Tikal. I stayed down at Lake El Remate where there are a bunch of small inexpensive boutique hotels on the waterfront.

3) Lago Atitlan (and all of it's surrounding towns) is popular. Otherwise, just ride around and get lost :)

10 day trip , 5 days Spanish school...that doesn't leave you with a lot of time left.

- Renting a bike in Antigua , Cat Tours , scooters at MotoMundo

- Tikal : you can do it in 1 day , if you take the first flight out of Guatemala City and the last one back . This would give you 5 hours to visit the ruins . Overland the fastest way from Antigua to Tikal is 600 KM

-Day trips out of Antigua : Atitlan , the market in Chichicastenango, hiking a Volcano (Pacaya) , Ziplining in the hills around Antigua, visits to coffee farms 15 min from Antigua, Macadamia farms 20 min from Antigua, day trip down to the beach at the Pacific coast , mountainbike tour,

Thanks for the response Dr. Benny & GuateRider, I'll follow up with the rental places. I like the ride around and get lost idea and the market in Chichicastenango looks like a sure stop..... I think I'll save Tikal for another longer visit (nothing's fun when you're rushed).

Also, I've typically just grabbed local currency from bank machines when travelling, is this a safe enough practice in Antigua?..reliable, legit ATMs? (obviously not late night secluded area wearing all my fancy bling with cameras around my neck and cash dripping from a big wallet) Or should I get it from an ATM at the airport when I arrive?

And yes thank you, I agree I'm a lucky man to do this with my son, it's all about priorities for me, they're only young once, I think/hope he'll remember this trip for a long time....I know I can't wait!!

Thanks for all the tips, we both had a blast and would highly recommend Antigua, even for a short get away. I would also recommend CA tours or your motorbike needs....the guys are great to deal with and helpful to all the bikers that stop by.

Hey Coors, we had a great time and hope to come back in the future for more riding and beers at Moto Café.